Ampoule sealing machine



March 3, 1953 J. F. KAHLENBERG mm. 2,629,970

AMPQULE SEALING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1951 2 SI'EETKSIIEET lINVENTORS.

March 3, 1953 J. F. KAHLENBERG arm. 2,

AMPOULE SEALING MACHINE z m WWW" iiiii [iii em/a 722% all e237tsarygtosseabamnouie ig-ieringziin. structure.iandisfonatone workiipiece3101 another,- -.;the variable;determinineith .time:.,in-

Patented Mar. 3, 1953 TJUNLTED sures "PATENT OFFICE 'AMPOULE-I SEALING-MACHINE j. -Ja,mes Kahl nberg. and Herman. H- ahl nher .L'Sarasota,,Ela.

g a-Application April 16, 1951; SerialNos221g194'f-Ihe.:presentnnventionerelat s; :broadlyeto the ,nmpoules; and; like,containers; in which a :com-

sparatively long. v.slencleriz.ed'xneck' extends ---axia 11y of;. thecontainer ;;body 311G515 .-fiared-.1at:its .tip.:-;end-.toprovide;an:en1argediunneleshaped.mouth.

' ...'Ih,es.e. iampoules "are available ontheppenmarket .1 under..variousratrade;:names. Still. -more specificallyirthe invention:pertains ;-to 1 an attachment designedsmprimarily for; use: on amachinezior -:sea1i;ng.-. ampoules andthe like a prior-inventioniofrgours, :for ,;.-whichi vzllniteda' States; Patent, No. 2,493,076was-zissued-January .3, 1950,;the purpose of zsuch attachmentiheingqto'makegthe, machine unore {automatic :in ;operation,. to increaseproduction and .-reduce.- spoilage iito, anminimum.

{Unlike automaticisealingmachines now on the .-marketandzinwhichthepsealingmnd;tip removal vgoperationgzisa accomplisheddnaa-- fixed time, in-

.terval. :t-he: present-invention provides. a. Eva-ria- 1' tion .in.:the. time vinterral: which-:11automatica11y compensatesrior difierencesinrtime. n cessary-1m --me1t the glass duringthetsealing, and; tipremoval -;niechanism is unlock "and as azmeanszfonec- -:tuating atipremovinggdeviceior manly. eter- .'mini;ng;the.;time.intervalsdurin w:inssj perationi. is, performed. "cum-seep- .ieratiom-the-machine winautomaticall .compe sate for difference inithegamountgof 1me.:ne.ces-

;;tubes;;.:and thelikei ifi be"; automatically" "releasednrror further.feeding until aseal has .loeen formed-and there. is. a-sever- :ance. orthe glass @at :the .pointmf ;-,sealing. 1 .This is. a'ixfnrther and-1importantv-object off the: in-

:vention.

,' vBrieflydescribedj; the machinefli-sclosed-in our Patent No.2,493,070.;oi references, .cemprises l a Hturret mountedf-to;freelycrotate about a vertical axis; but; havingnoidiitect ,1-.'driving1connection. The turret: is provided; *adiacenteits: 'peri rhery, :witha. plurality 50f '-;upwardly gopening-; circumiii) surface.

anoi in .ampoul svpr. li -filledr r-..:n.art vi;:fi11e ;;co ntainers,one-in each-pocket. and1;f1:ee, o 2 vvolve about: its iowngaxisirrespective. ofpwhether ,;the:,turret is in; motion; or not.

indexing: and, v=-lockingr means are provided whereby; the turret-isczintermittently irotatedato ..successively-reed;thee-ampoulesto aheat n i tion wheretheiareayofzthe neck portion, at. which rtheisealjsto be. made; is subjected to -t he;intense heat" ;of;. agas iburninitorch, ;the -turret ,being f: locked-a ain t rot tionsdurinsthe;ibriefi. tim period required" for: softening; the;v glass to; apliable and-fusible; consistency severing thettip endi f the. .amomeand-rorming;theseal., :Dur- -;.ing.;this -period:: an.;air -J"et,;directed againstrt-he work pieceat a lower lever, restrictsfiheg-exces-.sive bea in s-to; defin d ar r end .z eintains such temperatureconditions of; the amppule -ho y. *as vwilhrestr iin i s con n s-fromoverheating, vaporizing, forming glass: bubblesv and, :;re ej cts-51hen-,-;as the :succeedine'am e e i moved intmtherhe ins zQn.--1and....th sealed io eiad- ,vaneed .tQward-.-;.an.ounl adine;station. .ptheyseal s nd .sunw ns i sarea. frt ezl tt r a subj ted tothe cooling and;:hersieni sinfluence, otce pther air jet.

=-'.:A s,:an ampouleapp achesandd aves t e :heati sstation a dnurin te-h atin ineriodsittis continuously rotated- ;hy-.; the; ngagernent ofra ;.motor;,.;driven; .frie i n. .b iijwithi its; periph r Thisfrictional contactv bec mes -the levera e.-.;.and.i.thesampcu ethe::conne tin zm .d um.th eu mwhichefo ei isaex rtedzeto';;;rotate theturret when the lock is released.

.. In; the mach n aasnir t above. ..descri.be -..:;t

.z .-.th ;:11ar d. .-o ;:.f,u.n-n 1: :shapedmouth :D I fiO .xabov earea-r eimoltensh W s.=.h re of0r .umennellrtrem y ci; yisrippins.itwith. a forcep 4 or -;,other-;suitab1e :instrument. and -exerting eithercan;upw.ard:.pull,;or allowing the tip to twist ofi aby .holding itagainstrrotation. And, the. intermittent teed. of; the: turret was undermanual .-;control.

. With- 'rthepresent invention-removal of the tip end of the; work:pieces above, the. seal is an automatic, operation; and. onezsoffthe-main ob- :=;;jects-. is ,to.-.=;acoomplish this by simple;reflective, positively; operatingand inexpensive mechanism Whichtincludes a device for drawing ofi 1 the tip ferentiallyfLSPaQEd'LIDOORGtSCfOPI :removablygzqsup- P rangementxthe.ampouleor-tubeat: the heating 3 station not only becomes the link in the mechanismwhich actuates the tip removing device but, by contrast, the failure ofan ampoule or tube to present itself for sealing will render the removaldevice immobile and the machine will come to a stop and cease itsoperation.

Another object of the invention is to remove the tip while the ampouleis being rotated in the flame, the result being the formation of aperfectly symmetrical seal.

The tip removal member constitutes a slide pivoted at its center toallow rotation in a vertical plane, and having a longitudinallyextending open trackway the sides of which at their forward ends arebent down to provide cam surfaces for engagement beneath the flaredmouth of the ampoule, a further object of the invention being to employthe trackway as a means along which the removed tips are intermittentlyfed until they drop off its discharge end, each succeeding tip as itenters the trackway being the propelling means for such movement of thewastage. The cam surfaces at the entrance end of the trackway are soformed that as the ampoule advances to the sealing position, and beingengaged in the trackway as it moves in a horizontal plane toward thefulcrum of the slide, which is in a higher horizontal plane than thepoint Where the ampoule is engaged by the slide, a lever action isintroduced between the point of contact of the ampoule with the slideand the fulcrum and the slide being free to move only down in a verticalplane, it is so pulled down as the ampoule advances.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention as embodied in amachine constructed and operating in the manner hereinabove described,and covered by the patent of reference, are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the invention and the machine to which it isattached.

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the parts seen in Fig. 1, butshowing only fragmentary portions of the machine proper in verticalsection, and an ampoule in the position in which it is about to engagethe tip remover.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the ampoule engaged by thetip remover and in proximity to the heating station. v

Fig. 5 is a section view of the machine taken on line 55, Fig. 1.

In the drawings similar reference numerals refer to similar partsthroughout the different views.

The illustrated machine is a portable one of unitary construction andmounted upon a base .plate I supported within an opening therefor in atable top 2. Upstanding from the base I is a shaft 3 on which a turretor carrier, indicated generally by numeral 4, is free to revolve, athrust bearing 5 being interposed between the turret and the base. Theturret 4 includes an upper disc 6 and a similar lower disc I, preferablyof Bakelite or like material, spaced apart by a disc 8 of less diameterthan the members 6 and I so as to provide an outwardly opening annularchannel 9 between them. Interposed between the underside of disc I and acombination indexing and locking plate I0 is a second spacer I I ofstill less diameter than the first named spacer 8. There is a hub I2 onthe top of disc 6 and the several parts are clamped together by suitablefastening means such as tie-bolts I 3, only one of which is shown.Surrounding the spacer II is a ring I4 the outer diameter of which issubstan-' 4 tially that of the discs 6 and I. This ring I4 is a fixedmember and is shown supported upon bosses I 4a upstanding from the baseI. It is of less thickness than the spacer II in order to provideclearance both under disc I and above locking plate I0.

Adjacent the periphery of disc 6, in the area above channel 9, are aplurality of regularly circumferentially spaced circular openings I5.These apertures I5 with substantially opposite like openings I6 in thelower disc 'I provide the recesses or pockets for removably receivingthe work pieces which in this instance are shown as ampoules II. Theampoules, one in each pocket, stand upon the ring member I4 and slidethereover as the turret rotates. The lower openings I6 are not in trueaxial alignment with corresponding upper openings I5 but are advancedcircumferentially a slight degree so that the ampoules I! will inclineslightly from the vertical, as shown, and for the purpose to bedescribed.

The peripheral edge of plate III is slotted to provide notches I8 oflike number and angular spacing as the holes I5 and I6, and when engagedby a spring actuated sliding bar I9 the turret is locked againstrotation. Originally this bar was manually retracted, but in the instantinvention it constitutes the plunger of a solenoid magnet 20 and isretracted to unlock the turret when the solenoid is energized by theautomatic closing of a switch, as the ampoule tip is removed.

The ampoule IT in position for sealing is at a heating station,indicated at B in Figs. 1 and 4, where the neck portion at which theseal is to be made is subjected to intense heat by a flame directedagainst it from a gas burner 2I which, in this instance, is adjustablysupported on the shaft or post 3 about which the turret revolves. Thefirst and second air jets, hereinabove mentioned and their purposedescribed, are directed from nozzles 22 and 23, respectively, adjustablysupported on post 24, for the nozzle 22, and 25, for the nozzle 23, bothupstanding from the base I.

As an ampoule II approaches heating station B the peripheral surface ofits body portion is frictionally engaged by the inner reach of a belt 26preferably round in cross section. This belt 26 engages over a drivingpulley 21 and an idler 28, one each side of the heating station B"' andlying in a horizontal plane intermediate the two turret discs 6 and 1.The idle pulley 28 is loosely mounted on a stub shaft 29 while thedriving pulley 2'! is splined to a shaft 30 which, through reductiongearing in a gear box 3|, is driven by an electric motor 32 supported'upon the underside of base plate I.

With the turret 4 loaded and the machine in operation, at least oneampoule I I is engaged and caused to revolve about its own axis by thebelt 26. This occurs as the ampoule moves into and leaves the heatingzone and during the momentary time period when the turret is lockedagainst rotation and the seal is being formed. Frictional engagement ofthe belt 26 also exerts a forward push against the ampoule I I in thedirection of the belts travel so that the ampoule, functioning as a slipclutch, becomes the connecting medium through which, with the lock barIt disengaged from the plate It, the turret is given its intermittentrotation to successively feed the ampoules to the heating station. Thesealed ampoules, indicated in Fig. 1 at III), are either removed fromtheir pockets by hand or allowed to drop onto a'delivery chute, notshown, through an opening33'inthe supporting ring I4.

Any tendency of the ampoules to "ride the belt 26, and thus be liftedout of their pockets, is overcome by their slight inclination from thevertical which is produced by the respective off-- setting of the pocketforming holes l and I6 so that, while being rotated, the top of theampoule is tilted in the opposite direction from the thrust imparted bythe belt. In this tilted position the ampoule engages the leading edgeportions of the upper and lower openings [5 and H5 in such manner thatthe belt 26 exerts a downward push on the ampoule rather than an upwardthrust. This is an important feature in the successful operation ofmechanism embodied in the present invention and now to be described.

Also adjustably secured to the post is a clamping fixture 34 having abore for, receiving a horizontally extending stub shaft 35 held thereinat any positionv of axial and rotary adjustment by set screw 36.Supported on stub shaft 35 and by a collar 3? is a stationary. bracketplate 38 which lies in a vertical plane. Adjacent the face of plate 38toward the turret 4 is abearing block 39 mounted for rocking movement onthe forward end of stub shaft 35. Integral with block 39 and extendingtransversely of stub shaft 35, to the right with respect to Figs. 1, 2and 4 of the drawings, is an arm 40 which at its'outer end has pivotalconnection 41 with the free, upper end of the plunger 42 of a dashpot43. latter is provided with a standard ball check valve 44 and at itslower end is pivotally supported upon a pin 45 extending laterally frombracket plate 38.

Secured to the outer face of block 39 by brazing or otherwise is what weterm a slide 46 and along which travel the tips Ha as wastage fromsealed tubing. This slide A6 is in the form of an open ended housingextending in a line substantially tangential to the circular path oftravel of the ampoules at the heating station B, its ends beingpractically equidistant from the fulcrum point of the rocker member 39.The housing 43 is shown as formed of sheet metal with the side wallsturned inwardly along their bottom edges to form opposing flanges 41, 48spaced apart to provide a longitudinally extending slot or track way 49for the wastage tips Ha. The flanges 4'! and 48 are shaped at theirforward ends to receive the neck of an ampoule i! into the slot 49 asthe ampoule approaches heating station B and are bent downward toprovide lips 51a and t-Sa adapted to engage under the enlarged upper Thea or mouth end of the tube to be sealed, this enlargement being aflaring of the tube, as illustrated, or a shoulder accordingly as thearticle to When the lips 41a and 48a engage an ampoule H, or likearticle, the slide '46 is in its upper or substantially horizontalposition, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, in which it is normally held by acoiled tension spring 5:] anchored at one end to the arm 49 and at itsother end to bracket 38. The stub shaft 35 is in a higher horizontalplane than the point of contact between the ampoule and the slide. Thusthe normal tendency of the ampoule advancing to sealing position 3"?would be to ride upward on the cam surface formed by the lip d'ia and48a and also upward toward the horizontal plane of stub shaft 35.However, the

downward pull on the ampoule by the friction belt 2'; o ercomes actionof the spring and the ember 46 is pulled down to the angular positionshown in Fig. 4, the slot 49 being sufliciently wide to permit continuedrotation of the ampoule with- .switch and. the solenoid 20.

out binding. With slide 46 in its down position the. ampoule reaches theheating station E and;

asthe glass becomes molten this member 46, functioning as a lever undertension of spring 59, stretches the more or less fluid glass, see Fig.5, and resumes its normal position as in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. In doing soit removes the tip end Ila.

,Also mounted on bracket plate 38 is a microswitch 5i having a springcontact arm 52. This arm 52, when the slide 46 and parts 39 and 4Gmovable therewith are in upper or substantially horizontal position,Fig. 2, is forced down into closed position by a screw 53 adjustable inthe armML. A circuit is thus closed which energizes the solenoid coil 23and disengages the locking bar H) from the indexing plate iii. Theturret then rotates under influence of the belt 26 on the ampoule 17-;the tip removing member is again ready to engage the next ampouleapproaching the heating station and as the next ampoule enters the slide46 and pulls it down as hereinabove described, switch, arm 52 breakscontact to de-energize coil- 23 and allow the spring pressed plunger armI9 to again lock the turret when the ampoule reaches the heatingstation, such ampoule having pushed the removed tips Ila another stepalong the trackway 49.

When the glass becomes softened and the tip I2a is raised by the removalmechanism, a very fine capillary tube of molten glass is drawn out andforms a connection between the wastage and the ampoule. It is necessaryto melt this capillary tube to complete the seal, and, therefore, theampoule being sealed must be held in the flame a sufiicient length oftime for this thread-like tube to melt off. This can be accomplished bydelaying return of the slide 46 to the position where it closes the mainswitch 55 or by placing a time delay relay in the circuit between the Toaccomplish this delay we make use of the dashpot 53 which opposesactionv of the spring 58. The dashpot can be adjusted, by metering outthe escaping air, to allow the exact amount of time reuired to melt thecapillary tube before switch 5| is closed and the sealed ampoule iscarried from the, sealing position.

From the foregoing it will be observed that we have providedmeanswhereby the very simple machine of our prior invention. in whichthere are but few parts and without any direct drive for the turret, hasbeen made fully automatic in its operation; that successive ampoules orlike workpieces, as they move into position for sealing, not onlyconstitute a connecting medium through which the turret is rotated bythe friction belt which rotates the ampoules about their own axes,

thus providing a slip clutch which allows a variable time period formaking the seal without effecting. indexing of the turret, buttheyfunction as the means for moving the tip removal mechanism intooperative position; and, that they are the means for progressivelyfeeding the wastage along its removal mechanism to a place of discharge.

In other words, we have provided a device for removing the tips ofampoules and thus sealing them that is not operated at a cyclic fixedtime interval for heating the ampoules to proper fuzing temperature, byproviding resilient axial tension between two points on the ampoule andapplying a heating flame intermediate thereto and provid-' ing a holdingmeans for maintaining said tension and holding in the flame until suchtime as the heating means melts the glass ampoule and thus removing saidtension, which in'turn releases said holding means. The amount of timethat the ampoule will remain in the flame is determined by meltingcharacteristics of the particular ampoule being sealed. The ampoule willthus remain in the name the exact time necessary for melting the glassand no more and no less.

The time-delay interval interposed to allow the capillary tube to meltoff must be provided but this does not start to function until the tubeis heated to pliable consistency. The delay functions to allow thefraction of a second necessary to heat the glass from the temperature atwhich it becomes pliable to the temperature at which it becomes fusibleand the tip separates from the body.

The ampoule is rotated to provide uniform heating around itscircumference so that the end of the ampoule or tube being sealed has auniform appearance and is free from internal stress'due to unevenheating. I

It may also be stated that the drawings are for the purpose ofillustration only and that various changes in construction, operationand positions of mounting various parts may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as recited in the appendedclaims.

We claim:

1. In a machine for sealing ampoules and like tubular containers inwhich the tip or filling end is of greater diameter than the neckportion, heating means for making the seal, a carrier having pockets forremovably supporting said containers on end and for successively movingthem to and from said heating means, a pivotally mounted bifurcated armin the path of a container as it approaches said heatin means, andresilient means for normally holding said arm in the plane of theenlarged tip end of the container, said arm being engaged by saidenlarged end and pulled down thereby against the action of saidresilient means as the container moves toward the pivot of the arm, saidpivot being in a higher plane than the point of engagement of theenlarged end in the arm, the said resilient means returning said arm tonormal position and thus separating the tip end from the container whenthe heated area of the container is in a state of pliable and fusibleconsistency.

2. A sealing machine in accordance with claim 1 but characterized bysaid bifurcated arm providing a trackway on which the removed tips areslidably supported and progressively fed toward a discharge point bysuccessive containers as they engage said arm.

3. A sealing machine according to claim 1 and including an adjustabledash-pot actuated by said arm and opposing the action of said resilientmeans for adjustably retarding return of said arm to normal positionwhile the tip is being separated from the container.

4. A sealing machine according to claim 1 and including a friction belt,said belt functioning to engage and rotate each container during theheating period and comprising means exerting an axial pull on thecontainers as opposed to the upward pull of said bifurcated arm.

5. The combination, in a machine for sealing ampoules, of a turretmounted to rotate about a vertical axis and having a plurality ofampoule receiving pockets regularly spaced in a circle adjacent itsperiphery, heating means, means for rotating said turret, indexingmechanism including a spring actuated locking bar for intermittentlyholding said turret against rotation as successive ampoules are inposition for sealing, asolenoid for releasing said locking bar, abifurcated arm fulcrumed intermediate its ends and arranged in the pathof the ampoules as they approach said heating means, and resilient meansfor normally holding said arm in an up position, said arm engaging eachsuccessive ampoule and being pulled thereby to a down position againstthe action of said resilient means, the latter returning said arm to itsup position and thus separating the tip end from the ampoule when theheater area thereof is in a state of pliable and fusible consistency,said solenoid being energized when said arm is in its up position torelease said locking bar and allowing said turret to rotate, and saidbifurcated arm providing a trackway for supporting the removed ampouletip and along which such wastage is progressively moved by and assuccessive ampoules are engaged by the arm.

6. An ampoule sealing machine according to claim 5 and including a meansfor regulating the time interval between the time the glass starts tomelt and the time the container is removed from the heating means.

'7. The combination, in a machine for sealing ampoules, of heatingmeans, a carrier for successively moving the ampoules in a verticalposition to and from said heating means, and means for removing the tipends or wastage from the ampoules comprising a lever fulcrumedintermediate its ends and including a bottom wall having an open endedlongitudinal slot providing a trackway for the wastage, spring means fornormally holding the forward end or" said lever in an up position, lipson the forward end of said lever for engaging the flared tip ends of theampoules and directing them into said slot as the ampoules approach saidheating means, the lever being swung to a down position by the engagedampoule against the action of said spring and returned by said spring toits up position as the seal is formed and the tip end melted off.

8. In a sealing machine, a combination in accordance with claim '7 andincluding an electric switch controlled by the movement of said leverwhich closes an electric circuit energizing a sole noid and saidsolenoid actuates a locking bar to unlock the rotary turret so that itis free to rotate when the arm is in normal or up position, andconversely said switch to break the electric circuit to deenergizesolenoid immediately upon said arm being pulled down from normalposition, which allows said locking bar, which is spring loaded againstthe action of said solenoid to seek and engage the indexing slot in thelocking plate, thus stopping the movement of the rotary turret when theampoule is in sealing position.

JAMES F. KAI-ILENBERG. HERMAN H. KAHLENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,270,152 Themak Jan. 13, 1942

